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Starting a
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 In this Issue
4................................................ Starting a New Farm Business
8. Disruptive Agriculture Technology Moonshot—Ready for Lift Off
in Sub-Saharan Africa?
11.............................. Tomato gross margin budget (interactive)

04
12...................................... Onions Post Production Operations
21............................................... Vegetables Planting Calendar
24..........................................Lady Plant Doctor of Rahuri, India
25......................................................... Stock theft prevention
27.........................Poultry Cannibalism Prevention and Treatment
30.......................................................... What is Agroforestry?
33......................................................................Tractor Safety
39................. Celebrating Successes of Women In Agribusiness

12 41.........................................The Agribusiness Expert Answers

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24
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www.agribusiness.co.zw 3 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine

Starting a New Farm

Business
N ew farmers
have a num-
ber of things
A good idea is the ba-
sis of a successful ven-
ture while the avail-
as a farmer by adding
value to produce.

“Antheidea
to consider before ability of a market is An idea without a mar-
making a decision an indicator of the ket can not get you
to farm. This means, sustainability of the started. Do a market is
farming is not only
about enjoying the
business venture. research to ascertain
the demand, volumes,
busi-
day to day farm opera- The farming industry pricing, quality, pre- ness you
tions or hard-working. has a number of op- sentation (packaging,
Successful farming portunities, ideas and possible value addi- want and
involves making busi-
ness decisions. The
enterprises to choose
from including; bee-
tion), place, marketing
costs, off-season sup-
a market
article will outline key keeping, mushroom plies. As you do your is the who
areas that you need to farming, horticulture, research, try to find
consider before start- livestock production problems that your you expect
ing your farm busi-
ness.
among other exam-
ples.
potential customers
are facing. This helps
to buy your
in coming up with final prod-
Idea and a market Remember you can solutions and create a
uct.
”
always start from more sustainable busi-
An idea is the business anywhere along the ness.
you want and a mar- value chain. Think of
ket is the who you ex- the whole value chain Also, research more
pect to buy your final when refining your on your competitors.
product. idea. See how best you
can upgrade your role Market demand

www.agribusiness.co.zw 4 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine
should drive produc- supermarkets, live- Knowledge and
tion and not vice ver- stock auctions, ab- Skills
sa. There has to be a attoirs, institutions, Key Questions
demand for your pro- government depart- This refers to several
duce if your project is ments, etc.) business and technical
to succeed. knowledge.
□□ Is there a market
An idea and market for my business?
Places that you can research has given you Once you have an idea
get market informa- direction on what to on what you can pro- □□ Is there space in
tion include; farmers’ grow and assist you in duce for the market, the market for
markets (e.g. Mbare coming up with a farm get information on my product or is
musika, or your local business plan. how to produce. the market satu-
market), the Internet, Get trained by profes- rated?
sionals and reputable
□□ Who buys my
product now?
Who is my target
customer?
□□ Is my target cus-
tomer interested
in my products?
□□ To what extent
do my target
customers know
about my prod-
uct or service,
and do they need
to learn about it?
□□ What price points
will target cus-
tomers accept?
□□ What are some
competitive an-
gles my company
can employ?
□□ How feasible is it
that my business
will be profit-
able?
□□ What is my sup-
ply chain?
□□ Who is my com-
petitor?
□□ How can I access
the market and
receive a fair
price?

www.agribusiness.co.zw 5 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine

institutions on both cord keeping, market

theory and practicals. demand and supply, Join local farmer clubs,
Visit successful and market prices, age to associations and at-
unsuccessful farms for maturity, building and tend all field days and
learning purposes. equipment required, farmer events.
and labour require-
Gather as much infor- ments. Keep organized
mation as possible. notes as you learn.
Adequate knowledge
and skills aid in ad-
Start-up Kit
Learn about the rain- dressing quality, prof-
fall pattern, soil types, Subscribe to local mag- itability, efficient use
□□ A goal (what
availability of pastures, azines and reading of resources, and man- you want to
accessibility, distance material. Today the agement issues. achieve)
from the market, agri- Internet is awash with
cultural risk and miti- information, put it to □□ A clear idea
gation (farm insurance) good use. Resources and a market
among other exam-
ples. Ensure information The money you need □□ R e s o u r c e s
for your intended farm
sourced from the In-
business is capital. It
(even the little
Information you need ternet is applicable available)
will depend on the de- locally. Department of takes high capital to
sired enterprise. For Research and Special- start a big farm busi-
ness. Start small and □□ K n o w l e d g e
example, if you are ist Services and the and skills
planning to keep broil- Department of Agri- reinvest profits to grow
er chickens, you will business and Markets your business. Starting
need to know: Breeds, under the Ministry of small is key to success-
nutritional and feeding Lands Agriculture and ful farm businesses. A
requirements, health Rural Settlement have number of financial in-
and diseases, brood- more information that stitutions can provide
ing, management, re- you may find useful. capital.

www.agribusiness.co.zw 6 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine
The capital will secure a large cattle pen fat- Next, you need to reg-
land, inputs, labour, tening farm producing ister a company. This
maintaining a positive quality beef for a Ha- separates you from
cash flow during the rare market. They es- the farm business and
production period. Fac- tablished they needed is one of the key areas
tor in hidden costs such capital for 1000 beasts considered by financial
as market fees, market- and a considerable institutions for fund-
ing costs and workers tonnage of commercial ing. Also, open a bank
health insurance when feed. account with reputable
planning your resourc- banks that offer agri-
es. Other sources for They approached a fi- business financing. The
a small capital include nancial institution in account is separate
friends, family and in- Harare with their pro- from your personal
vestors. posal seeking funding transactions.
for their Capital re-
Depending on the size quirements. Remember, you can
of your operations, you not always achieve
need the right number Unfortunately the this alone. Key profes-
of people. Get quali- group could not get sionals that you need Tips
fied and experienced funding even after try- include agronomists,
assistants to work with ing several banks for a veterinarians, agribusi- Start Small. Small mis-
you. number of years. Even- ness experts, insurance takes are usually less
tually, the business brokers and lawyers expensive than bigger
Risk Management failed to start. (with experience in mistakes.
agricultural projects). Consider hiring equip-
Farming depends on What was their prob- The Ministry of Lands
many factors that are lem? ment, services such as
Agriculture and Rural legal and accounting, in
completely out of your Settlement has profes-
control such as weath- They wanted to start sionals that can assist the first years of oper-
er. This creates a big BIG. The farmers could free of charge. This ation.
risk that needs assess- have contributed a few should be your first Think of your farm as a
ment and manage- steers each for fatten- port of call if you are business.
ment. Get insurance ing, then grow their concerned with costs.
cover for your crops, business from prof- Keep records of every-
livestock, farm equip- its. Lesson: Start small With the assistance thing.
ment and employees’ even if you have a big- from your team, de- Always have a plan B
health from reputable ger picture. velop a SWOT analysis and C.
brokers. (strengths, weakness- Seek professional help.
The information you es, opportunities and
Consider health and have gathered so far threats) for your in-
safety by putting in will enable you to cre- tended business. This
place an emergency ate a sound business is included in your
plan and getting work- plan. The business plan business plan.
ers trained for safe works as a blueprint
equipment and pesti- for your venture. It will
cide use. provide direction for
your farm business.
Case study Many financiers re-
Some farmers in Mu- quire well written busi-
zarabani came to- ness proposals. It is
gether and formed a important to seek pro-
cooperative with the fessional assistance.
intention to establish

www.agribusiness.co.zw 7 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine

Disruptive Agriculture Technology Moonshot—

Ready for Lift Off in Sub-Saharan Africa?

C an Africa feed
Africa? This
question is fre-
quently asked, espe-
cially when there are
tapped potential,
achieve a hunger free
region, and ensure
growth and prosperi-
ty for all smallholder
of their products. And
farmers are reaping
the benefits. An im-
pact assessment of
mobile advisory ser-
256 million people farmers? Can disrup- vices via SMS by Pre-
(1 in 5) in Sub-Saha- tive agriculture tech- cision Agriculture for
ran Africa (SSA) who nologies (D4Ag) be a Development found
are critically under- catalyst to transform that sending SMS with
nourished. And the agriculture and solve agricultural advice to
numbers are growing. the multiple challeng- smallholder sugar-
Escalating weather es facing SSA farmers cane farmers in Kenya
volatility due to cli- today? increased their yields
mate change further by 11.5% relative to a
exacerbate food and What are these dis- control group.
nutrition insecurity. ruptive technologies?
Frequent droughts They combine the
and floods are trig- power of digital and Such disruptive
gering a food crisis in non-digital innova- technology can be
at least one or more tions to enable farm-
countries every year, ers to increase their
good business
demanding emergen- yields, help build re-
cy responses. silience to climate In fact, a new genera-
change, provide links tion of tech-savvy local
What will it take to to markets, and ul- entrepreneurs in the
bring a radical trans- timately raise their region is building dig-
formation in the ag- incomes by lowering ital platforms to pro-
riculture sector of input costs, increasing vide streamlined and
SSA countries? How outputs and eventual- more reliable services
can we unlock its un- ly increasing the value to farmers and agri-

www.agribusiness.co.zw 8 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine
businesses, whether What makes dis- perform the data ana-
large or small. Their ruptive agriculture lytics upon reaching a
applications cover im- technology en- village or city center,
proving smallholder where mobile or inter-
productivity, strength- terprises thrive in net services operate.
ening their market SSA?
linkages, and provid- What’s more, D4Ag
ing access to finance The rapid growth of also help overcome
and data for improved mobile and internet limited farmer literacy
decision-making. No- access and mobile and language barriers.
tably, some enterpris- payments are key Content can be shown
es such as Hello Trac- game changers as via video or pictures

“
tor provides “uber” they aid in reducing translated into local
tractor services to transaction costs. In languages, facilitated
over 250,000 farmers by image recognition
and Farmers Pride Af-
2018, the SSA region
had 395.7 million reg- and artificial intelli- What’s ben-
rica has one stop “Di-
gishops”, supporting
istered mobile money
accounts, served by
gence. Digital Green
in Ethiopia provides eficial is that
10,000 farmers to ac-
cess inputs, livestock
more than 130 live extension services to
half a million farmers
even lower
mobile money ser-
services, and ag in- vices and a network via community devel- connectivi-
surance from reliable oped video tools. Kuza
input providers and
of more than 1.4 mil-
lion agents. Current- in Kenya operates on- ty environ-
connecting them with
buyers.
ly, about 33 million
smallholder farmers
or off-line using IPADs,
smart phones and ments do
Another example of
and pastoralists are portable battery-op-
erated Wi-Fi devices
not prevent
registered to use dig-
an enterprise that ital agriculture solu- to provide advisory farmer ac-

provides a bundle of
technology services to
tions in SSA, which
accounts for 13% of all
farmers is Agri-Wallet SSA smallholders and
in Kenya. It offers a pastoralists. Registra-
mobile financial plat- tions grew by about
form to connect farm- 44% per year in the
ers and buyers to sell last three years.
their produce or to
input suppliers to buy What’s beneficial is
inputs, with payments that even lower con-
made through mobile
nectivity environ-
money. It also serves ments do not prevent
as a digital wallet for farmer access. Rapid
savings or to obtain advancements and
loans. Most of these declining costs of pop-
entrepreneurs bun- ular technologies that
dle services and make can operate off-line--
their earnings from mobile and smart
the transaction mark- phones, IPADs, com-
ups from input and puters, portable video
insurance companies, projectors, sensors,
financial institutions, GPS mapping tools,
and commodity buy- IoT-- make this possi-
ers. ble. One only needs
to update content and
”
services, access to
agri-inputs, credit, cess
market and other ser-
vices to smallholder
farmers.
Governments are
also joining the
movement
Ministries of Agricul-
ture are tapping digi-
tal platforms to make
delivery of agriculture
services more effi-
cient, transparent and
accountable. E-vouch-
ers have been rolled
out in Chad, Cote
d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ken-
ya, Mali, Niger, Nige-
ria, Senegal, Uganda
and Zambia; e-exten- Source: World Bank, 2019, Scaling up Dis-
ruptive Agriculture Technologies in Africa

www.agribusiness.co.zw 9 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine
sion in Benin, Burkina to create a favorable data privacy policy,
Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, enabling agribusiness and promote digital
Ghana, Guinea, Rwan- environment. This agriculture incubator
da, Kenya, Uganda; would include faster hubs.
and digital land regis- progress in ending di-
tration in Cote d’Ivo- rect government in- The disruptive agricul-
ire, Ghana, Rwanda, put distribution and ture technology sector
Madagascar, Tanzania commodity market- has already lifted off
and Uganda. ing, eliminating trade in SSA, launching the
restrictions, adopting moonshot. But we are
The World Bank Africa a pluralistic extension still a long way from
Region has set targets policy, and shifting reaching the moon.
for a Sub-Saharan Af- to smart subsidies. It
rica Digital Moonshot. is equally important Contributors
A similar D4Ag Moon- that they continue to
Dina Umali-Deininger
shot for SSA can bring finance public goods Agriculture Practice Manager,
the power of digital like agriculture re- Sustainable Development, in the
Africa Region of the World Bank
solutions to lift mil- search and rural infra-
lions of farmers, large structure. In addition, Jeehye Kim
Agricultural Economist at the
and small, to great- governments need to World Bank
er productivity and strengthen agriculture ___
prosperity. For this digital skills, invest
to become a reality, in farmer databases
policy makers need supported by a strong

www.agribusiness.co.zw 10 AUGUST 2019

Business information and tools agribusiness magazine

TOMATO GROSS MARGIN BUDGET (interactive)

Yield Levels kg/ha 60,000.0

Selling price per kg $4.00
Gross Income $/ha $240,000.00
Total Variable Costs $/ha $276.42 RESET FIELD

Gross Margin $/Ha $239,723.58

VARIABLE COSTS ITEMS Units Qty Unit Cost Cost per Ha

a.Labour ld/ha 184.0 $0.00

b.Seed g/ha 170.0 $0.00

c.Tractor & Equipment L/ha 100.0 $0.00

d.Fertiliser:
Compund S kg/ha 1,500.0 $0.00

Muray of Potash kg/ha 100.0 $0.00

AN kg/Ha 100.0 $0.00

e.Pests & Diseases Control:

Copper Oxychloride kg/ha 1.0 $0.00

Thiodan 50WP g/ha 650.0 $0.00

Metasystox L/ha 1.0 $0.00

Malathion L/ha 1.0 $0.00

Ridomil MZ 72 kg/ha 1.0 $0.00

Dithane M45 kg/ha 1.0 $0.00

g.Trellising wire kg/ha 420.0 $0.00

h.String kg/ha 21.0 $0.00

f.Irrigation $0.00

SUBTOTAL $0.00

Hidden costs % 2% $0.00

Planting to Harvesting Total Variable Costs $0.00 RESET FIELD

Harvesting to Marketing
a.Labour ld/ha 45.0 $2.00 $90.00

b.Transport 23.0 $3.00 $69.00

c. Packing boxes 15kg capacity units 2.0 $56.00 $112.00

SUBTOTAL $271.00

Hidden costs % 2% $5.42

Harvesting to Marketing Total Variable Costs $276.42 RESET FIELD

TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS $276.42 RESET FIELD

Note
DELETE cell content to RESET a field for accuracy.

www.agribusiness.co.zw 11 AUGUST 2019

Crops
Onions
Post Production
Operations
T
he growing, han-
dling, storage and
marketing of on-
ions is an important
part of these economic
activities. In many grow-
ing regions, it is a major
source of income for ru-
ral families who sell their
produce in local, region-
al and international mar-
kets.
Onions are also grown
in large quantity in de-
veloped countries and
these products dominate
the international market
partly due to their high-
er quality and longer
storage life which results
from the application of
improved post-harvest
systems. The objective
of this chapter is to ex-
amine the post-harvest
handling and storage
technology for onions,
www.agribusiness.co.zw
agribusiness magazine
have gone over, be-
fore it is possible to see
split skins exposing on-
ion flesh. Storage losses
at optimum maturity
which assist in quality
are normally lower than
maintenance.
those harvested before
the tops collapse.
The condition of onion
leaves is a good indica-
Bulbs generally mature
tor of the maturity and
within 100-140 days
general state of the bulb.
from sowing, depending
Bulb onions which are
on the cultivar and the
to be stored should be
weather. Spring onions
allowed to mature fully
mature for harvesting
before harvest and this
after 35-45 days from
occurs when the leaves
sowing. Harvested crop
bend just above the top
should be allowed to
of the bulb and fall over.
dry or cure and ripen in
the sun for several days
As a practical guide,
after lifting. Onions can
farmers should conduct
yield up to 5 t./ Ha under
sample counts on the
good growing and man-
number of bulbs, which
agement conditions.
have fallen over in a
field; and when the per-
centage of bulbs, which Harvesting & Transport
have fallen over, reaches
about 70-80% then the Manual harvesting is
entire crop should be the most common prac-
harvested. Harvesting tice in most developing
could commence earlier
when 50-80% of the tops ....continued on page 15
12 AUGUST 2019
Business information and tools agribusiness magazine
www.agribusiness.co.zw 13 AUGUST 2019
Crops agribusiness magazine
....continued from page 12 operations involved, la- drying is rather inaccu-
bour costs for two-phase rate since no cell regen-
countries. This is normal- harvesting are about 30 eration or wound healing
ly carried out by levering to 100 % higher than for occurs as in other root
the bulbs with a fork to one phase harvesting. crops such as yam and
loosen them and pulling cassava.
the tops by hand. In de- The main disadvantage
veloped countries, espe- of one-phase harvesting Drying reduces bulb
cially in large scale farms, is the high energy con- weight and since they
mechanical harvesting sumption required for are sold mostly on a
is commonly used. The mechanical drying. weight basis, achieving
harvesting techniques the desired level of dehy-
adopted are influenced Harvested bulbs are dration is critical. Weight
by weather condition at placed in containers losses of 3-5% are nor-
harvest time. In areas (basket, bins) or tied mal under ambient dry-
where warm, dry weath- into bunches and placed ing conditions and up to
er occurs reliably, the directly on the floor of 10 % with artificial dry-
curing and bagging of the a trailer for transport. ing.
crop can be done in the These trailers can be Onions harvest
field (two phase harvest- pulled by an animals In traditional small-scale
ing). In wetter, temper- (such as donkey o cattle) operations, onion drying
ate regions, mechanical or mechanical transport is carried out in the field
harvesting and artificial such as a tractor. Both in a process commonly
heating and ventilation packaging and transport called ‘windrowing’. It
for drying are essential systems must be select- involves harvesting the
for reliable production ed to ensure minimum mature bulbs and laying
of high quality bulbs on a handling damage to them on their sides (in
large scale. produce. Hard surfac- windrows) on the sur-
es should be cushioned face of the soil to dry for
The following steps are with leaves, foam or oth- 1 or 2 weeks. In hot trop-
followed during two- er appropriate force de- ical climates, the bulbs
phase harvesting of on- celerators. should be windrowed
ions: (a) mowing the in such a way to reduce
leaves (if necessary); (b) Curing & Drying
the exposed surface to
stubbing, undercutting Both curing and drying minimize damage due
and sieving the onions remove excess moisture to direct exposure to
to remove stones and from the outer layers of the sun. In wet weather,
clods; (c) roll the soil in the bulb prior to storage. the bulbs can take lon-
the row to get a plane The dried skin provides a ger time to dry and may
surface; (d) drying the surface barrier to water develop higher levels of
bulbs (windrowing) 8 to loss and microbial infec- rots during storage.
10 days in the field; (e) tion, thereby preserving
turning the bulbs 1 to the main edible tissue in The side of the bulb in
2 times; (f) harvesting, a fresh state. contact with wet soil or
sieving and hand-grad- moisture may also de-
ing, overloading into a Drying also reduces velop brown strains or
trailer or in crates; and shrinkage during sub- pixels, which reduce the
(g) transport. sequent handling, re- appearance quality and
duces the occurrence value.
For one phase harvesting of sprouting, and allows
usually commercial pota- the crop to ripen before Obviously, successful
to harvesters have been fresh consumption or windrowing is weather
adapted. After mowing long-term storage (Opa- dependent and there-
the leaves the crop is ra and Geyer, 1999). This fore cannot be relied
immediately harvested, process of dehydration upon for large scale
sieved, hand graded and is sometimes called ‘cur- commercial onion pro-
loaded onto the trailer. ing’, but the use of the duction business. Bulbs Onions ready for harvest
Because of the additional word ‘curing’ for onion harvested for storage re-

www.agribusiness.co.zw 15 AUGUST 2019

Crops agribusiness magazine
quire in total 14-20 days generally recommended tional methods of hold-
of ripening or drying be- for mechanical drying of ing onions for transpor-
fore being stored. onions. tation and/or storage
that do not fit into con-
Harvested onions may Cleaning ventional packaging
also be placed in trays, classifications. These in-
which are then stacked Freedom from any im- clude ‘string of onions’,
at the side of the field to purity, which may ma- shelves and loose bulk In
dry. In some tropical re- terially alter the appear- ‘string of onions’ pack-
gions, the bulbs are tied ance or eating quality, is ing, the bulbs are tied to-
together in groups by essential. Soil and other gether by means of their
plaiting the tops, which foreign materials must tops to produce a bunch
are then hung over poles be removed and badly of bulbs is also a form of
in sheds to dry naturally. affected produce must packaging. This is suit-
be discarded. able for transporting
Harvested bulbs can also small quantity of crop,
be taken straight from Cleaning may be carried and during storage, the
the field and dried arti- out using air or by man- bunches are hung from
ficially either in a store, ually removing unwant- the roof or from special Packed onions ready for the
shed, barns, or in a pur- ed materials on the bulb racks. Shelves for onion market
pose-built drier. This surface. Care should be handling and storage
method is commonly taken to avoid physical are made from either
used when crops are injury on the bulb during wooden slats or metal
stored in bulk but it can these operations. mesh on a wooden or
also be applied to bags, metal frame, and are
boxed or bins. Under this usually fixed in position
Packaging
method, bulbs are laid with the bulbs loaded
on racks and heated air and unloaded in the
is rapidly passed across General Information store. Ventilation (nat-
the surface of the bulbs Good packaging for on- ural or forced) is usual-
night and day [O’Con- ions must meet the fol- ly achieved by passing
nor, 1979; Brice et al., lowing criteria: air over the shelves. To
1997]. Drying may take achieve adequate aer-
7-10 days and is con- ■ ■ Strong enough to ation of the bulbs, the
sidered complete when retain the required depth of bulbs on the
the necks of the bulbs weight of onions shelves should be limit-
have dried out and are under the condi- ed to 10 cm.
tight and the skins shriek tions of transport
when held in the hand. and storage, Onions are also stored
loose bulk (instead of
The control of humidity ■ ■ Allow sufficient containers) by heaping
level in the store is crit- ventilation for the the bulbs directly on
ical. Under very high hu- air around the the floor or elevated
midity, drying is delayed bulbs to maintain platform. Because they
and fungal infection can relative humidi- are not restrained, the
increase. However, if rel- ty in the required bulbs roll during store
ative humidity is too low range, loading to completely fill
(below 60%), excessive the storage space. Bulk
water loss and splitting ■■ In many circum- storage permits maxi-
of the bulb outer skins stances, provide a mum utilization of store
can occur, resulting in means of display- space, and uniform aer-
storage losses and re- ing legally required ation is easier to achieve
duction of bulb value. and commercially than in stacks of bags or
Placing onions on wire necessary infor- other rigid packaging.
mesh in well ventilated mation (Brice et
conditions and using air However, where bulk
al., 1999). Onions in storage
at about 30°C, 60-75% storage is to implement-
rh and 150 m³.h-1.m-3 is ed, the retaining walls
There are many tradi-
www.agribusiness.co.zw 16 AUGUST 2019
Crops
must be strengthened
when storing larger
quantities of bulbs, and
arrangements need to
be made for rebagging
before subsequent mar-
keting. It is also difficult
to inspect bulbs regular-
ly under these storage
conditions. Loose bulk
handling of onion is
most suitable for large-
scale operations where
forced ventilation can
be provided during
long-term storage. Soft
cultivars (which are also
the centre of the pack-
age, which can result in
decay or sprouting. To
avoid these problems in
large stores, the capital
investment in packaging
may be quite substan-
tial.
Onion Bags
Sacks and nets used for
onion packaging fall into
three groups:
■■ General-purpose
agribusiness magazine
encourage spread
of post-harvest dis-
eases.
Sisal sacks are made
from sisal-like hard fi-
bres and have an open
weave, with thick
threads spaced be-
tween about 10 and 15
cm apart. The rough
nature of the fibre pro-
vides a sufficiently sta-
ble weave. These sacks
are similar to jute sacks,
but will allow limited Onions for sale in a local
visibility of the onions supermarket

generally sweet) ‘Vida- jute sacks, as used and impedance to air-

lia Sweets’ should not for many agricul- flow is less.
be stored in loose bulk tural commodi-
because of their high ties, Open-mesh nets are the
susceptibility to com- most widely used pack-
pression and impact
■■ Open-weave sacks age for onions, and they
damage. of sisal-like fibre, are normally red or or-
■■ Open-mesh nets, ange in colour. The slip-
Onions can be packaged normally of plastic pery nature of plastics
and stored in a variety of materials and can result in the move-
containers such as box- ment of the threads
es, cartons, bags, bulk ■■ Big bags, used allowing large holes to
bins, pre-packs, plastic alternatively to open up. To overcome
film bags, and stretch- crates, contain- this problem, alterna-
wrapped trays. Packag- ing up to 1000 kg tive nets are industrially
es typically contain 25 . Jute sacks are produced to give fully
kg and above, especial- readily available stable mesh and stron-
ly for transporting crop in most develop- ger bag.
from field to store and/
or during storage.
ing countries, but The principal tech-
their disadvan- niques include: (i) us-
The same 25 kg bags tages include: (i) ing extruded net from
or smaller bags may generally too large high-density PVC, (ii)
be used from store to - may contain 100 knitted (warp-knitted)
market place. Decision kg onions, hence and asymmetric con-
on which type of pack- difficult to handle struction, and (iii) spe-
aging to use depends and an increased cial weave in which weft
on crop size, length of risk of mechanical threads are double, and
storage and marketing damage; (ii) bulbs twisted.
requirements. A prob- are not visible
lem with packaging on- through the fabric, They are also slowly de-
ions in boxes, net bags and it is difficult to graded by sunlight, and
and bulk bins is that if monitor condition should not be left out-
they are too large, and during storage; (iii) doors for long period
airflow pattern tends there is some re- before use.
to be around rather sistance to airflow
than through them. Un- if they are used in In comparison with the
der this condition, the an aerated store; other types of bags,
respiration heat of the (iv) difficult to label they offer several ad- Onions in storage
bulb results in a warm, effectively; and (v)
humid environment in recycled sacks may ....continued on page 19

www.agribusiness.co.zw 17 AUGUST 2019

Companies do not
advertise because
they are big.

They are BIG

because they
advertise.

info@agribusiness.co.zw
agribusinesstalk@gmail.com
Crops
....continued from page 17
vantages, including: (i)
light weight, small bulk
when empty, (ii) usually
available in 12.5 and 25
kg sizes, (iii) fairly good
visibility of bulbs, (iv)
excellent ventilation, (v)
hygienic, (vi) easy closing
(draw-string types only),
(vii) and crop brand and
marketing information
may be printed around
the middle of the bag for
easy identification.
Bulk Storage
General Requirements
The objectives of onion
storage are to extend
the period of availabili-
ty of crop, maintain op-
timum bulb quality and
minimize losses from
physical, physiological,
and pathological agents.
Bulbs selected for stor-
age should be firm and
the neck dry and thin.
Discard thick necked
bulbs because they are
most likely to have high
moisture content than
optimum for storage,
and therefore would
have short storage life.
Skin colour should be
typical of the cultivar.
Microbial infections
such as Aspergillus niger
occur during produc-
tion of onions but these
will only develop on the
bulbs during storage
where the storage en-
vironment is conducive
for their growth. Prior
to storage, crop must be
cleaned and graded, and
all damaged or diseased
bulbs removed. Careful
harvest and pre-storage
treatments with mini-
www.agribusiness.co.zw
agribusiness magazine
mal mechanical loads store to achieve the re-
are important to achieve quired temperature and
a long storage period. humidity levels.
Both store room tem-
perature, relative hu- Linus U. Opara
Edited by AGST/FAO: Danilo
midity, and atmospheric Mejía, PhD, FAO (Technical)
composition affect the
___
length of storage that
can be achieved.
Several technology op-
tions are available for
bulk storage of onions,
including low-temper-
ate storage, high-tem-
perature storage, ‘direct
“
harvest’ storage and the
use of controlled atmo-
sphere (CA) stores.
Bulbs select-
Onion Storage at
High-temperature ed for stor-
Onions can be stored
at high temperatures of
age should be
over 25°C at a range of
relative humidities (75-
firm and the
85%) which is necessary neck dry and
for minimizing water
loss. thin. Discard
Storage at temperatures thick necked
of 25-30°C has been
shown to reduce sprout- bulbs because
ing and root growth
compared to low-tem- they are most
perature storage (10-
20°C). likely to have
However, weight loss,
high moisture
desiccation of bulbs, and
rots occurred at high
content than
temperatures, making
the system uneconomic
optimum for
for long periods of stor-
age that is required for
storage, and
successful onion mar-
keting (Thompson et
therefore
al., 1972; Stow, 1975). would have
In tropical climates,
high-temperature stor- short storage
age of onions can be
life.
”
achieved under both
ambient and heated
storage conditions. Un-
der these conditions,
ventilation must be care-
fully applied inside the
19 AUGUST 2019
www.agribusiness.co.zw 20 AUGUST 2019
Crops agribusiness magazine

Vegetables Planting Calendar

www.agribusiness.co.zw 21 AUGUST 2019

Research, development and innovation agribusiness magazine

www.agribusiness.co.zw 23 AUGUST 2019

Success story
Lady Plant Doctor of
Rahuri, India
M s. Kavita D.
Bidwe is a de-
termined lady
Agripreneur from Maha-
rashtra who has made a
dent in agricultural exten-
sion with her hard work.
She graduated in Agricul-
ture from Mahatma Phule
Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri,
Maharashtra in the year
2005. During graduation
itself she was passionate
about working with farm-
ers directly.
She took up the responsi-
bilities of her family after
the unexpected demise of
her father, by establishing
her own Agri-input supply
centre. She was encour-
aged be the Agri Clinics &
Agri Business centres
(AC&ABC) Scheme and
underwent training at
KVK, Babhaleshwar. KVK
provided her a broad vision
about Agri clinic services,
other allied activities and
entrepreneurial skills. Recently, she opened an-
other unit of Agro Service
www.agribusiness.co.zw
agribusiness magazine
After completion of
AC&ABC training, she
started her own unit in
2005, which delivers the
following services:
Centre and created gainful
employment on regular
basis for two persons. She
also provides useful tips
to entrepreneurs on main-
• Provides various Agri tenance, management and
inputs at farm gate. marketing of agricultural
• Library services to inputs.
farmers, by making
available monthly bul- She is covering 450 farm-
letins and Agri related ers in Rahuri Taluka and
information in local has an annual turn over
language at a fee of of Rs. 40 lakhs. She wants
Rs.50. to expand her business by
• Collects water and leaf providing clinical services
samples from farmers, like soil and water testing,
gets them analyzed at diagnostic services and
agricultural university farmers’ training school.
and provides recom-
mendations based on She opined that AC&ABC
lab reports. training showed her the
• Mobile soil testing kit way to set up her own ven-
for on-site recommen- ture and the Refresher
dations. Training Programme at
• Formed and is guiding Sangli provided her broad
Self Help Groups and vision to expand her busi-
Farmers’Clubs. ness.
• Conducts training to
farmers. See how you can imple-
ment this idea in your
area.
____
24 AUGUST 2019
Livestock agribusiness magazine

Stock theft prevention

A s a farmer, your
farm animals
are not only
business assets that
give you income, but
losses. The frequency
depends on the size of
your head and should
not exceed weekly
though we highly rec-
len animals.

Keep fences and gates

well maintained
Install pens and pad-
become part of your ommend daily count- docks away from the
family. The time and ing. Counting is best main road and clos-
resources you have in-done by the owner er to the residence
vested in acquiring and
or someone they can as possible. Secure
keeping them healthy trust. As you count, all gates with strong
has by now created forcheck for any signs quality locks. Exposed
you, an emotional at- of injury that could hinges can easily tap
tachment with them. have resulted from at- off with a couple of
tempted theft. Report
It is heartbreaking that hand tools, so it’s
many livestock produc-any missing livestock worthwhile to get into
ers in the country lose
to the police immedi- the habit of capping
thousands of dollars ately. The longer you them. Also, regularly
from theft by rustlerswait the harder it gets inspect for damages or
annually. The premium to follow-up evidence weak links that might
and catch the thieves.
prices offered for live- allow someone to get
stock has made stock This means, you need through. Steel pens are
theft a very lucrativeto have the contacts more secure, though
business. Herewith
for your local police expensive.
tips to ensure safety ready. Also, report
and traceability of your
stray animals to the Use of Technology
animals. police and community.
Thieves have implicat- Tech companies have
Count animals ed innocent livestock developed a system
that tracks animal lo-
Animals are counted owners in some cases cation. The Livestock Solar powered tracking device on
regularly to identify where they have used Identification and
a cow
land detect potential their pens to store sto-
www.agribusiness.co.zw 25 AUGUST 2019
Livestock agribusiness magazine
Traceability System Some stock theft cas- of association with the
(LITS), a plastic chip in- es involve farm assis- crime. Branding is the
serted in the ear of an tants. Always keep an best method used by
animal and capable of eye on them. Before farmers for thousands
storing electronic data hiring assistants, get of years. The Livestock
and linked to a server. them cleared by the Identification Trust can
The system enables a Zimbabwe Republic assist you on how to
user to establish the Police. Train your as- register your brand.
movement, ownership sistants to watch for
and health history of irregularities and not About ZRP Anti Stock
an animal as well as its to share information Theft
location at any given about your farm busi- The Anti-stock Theft

“
time. It has been suc- ness with strangers. Unit came in 2004 af-
cessfully used region- Do not allow loiter- ter realizing a need
ally by South Africa, ing or harbour unem- to build the national Insure your
Botswana and Namib- ployed people on the
ia. farm. All visitors and
herd that follows the animals
government’s policy of
strangers should get reviving the national against theft.
Be observant your permission. Keep economy. Historically, Remember
If anything seems a recording system for livestock have been
amiss, trust your gut. visitors including their the source of an Afri-
your livestock
For instance, if you see addresses, dates of the can man’s pride. Cattle is your work-
visit and duration, con-
signs that someone
tacts, who they are vis-
are a symbol of wealth; ing capital,
might have been on they provide draught
the property or kraal, iting and why. power as well as gen- they need
such as footprints or
Stock register
erate the much-need- replacement
tire tracks near the ed foreign currency
perimeter, take extra A stock register is a through beef exports.
when losses
occur.

”
precautions. The same must. It keeps details
goes for if you notice of your animals includ- AGRITALK
any suspicious vehicles ing, age, date of birth,
making repeat visits dam, sire, description, ___
or slowing down near source and health his-
your land. tory.

Insurance Branding
Insure your animals Whether you use a
against theft. Remem- brand, tattoo, or tag
ber your livestock is system, marking your
your working capital, animals can be a pow-
they need replacement erful deterrent. Most
when losses occur. thieves will pause
before stealing ani-
Security guards mals clearly marked
Employ security guards as someone else’s
to patrol your paddocks property. The reason:
and kraals. Ensure they Markings are fairly
are well-equipped to easy to identify, which
apprehend or scare not only makes the an-
away rustlers. imals difficult to sell,
but puts the rustlers Cattle branding for easy identifi-

Employees at a much higher risk cation

www.agribusiness.co.zw 26 AUGUST 2019

Livestock agribusiness magazine

Poultry Cannibalism
Prevention and Treatment

C annibalism in
fowl is a costly
and vicious habit
that poultry producers
cannot afford to ig-
costly. Cannibalism will
lower the bird’s value
due to torn and dam-
aged flesh, poor feath-
ering and can result
ty of adult birds which
should be 10 -12 birds
per m². However, for
layers another consid-
eration is if the birds
nore. in high death losses. will be housed in cages,
Once this habit gets in which case the floor
Cannibalism usually out of hand it is diffi- space could be smaller.
occurs when the birds cult to eliminate.
are stressed by a poor Excessive heat
management prac- Since there are numer- Birds become extreme-
tice. Once becoming ous reasons for out- ly cannibalistic when
stressed, one bird be- breaks of cannibalism, the temperatures are
gins picking the feath- it is important that too high. Be sure to
ers, comb, toes or vent cannibalism control be adjust the brooding
of another bird. Once a part of your manage- temperature as the
an open wound or ment program. young fowl get older.
blood is visible on the Temperature should be
bird, the vicious hab- Cannibalism is usually measured at the height
it of cannibalism can caused by one or more of the birds back di-
spread rapidly through of these conditions: rectly under the heat
the entire flock. If you source.
notice the problem Overcrowding
soon after it begins, The ground must be Excessive light
cannibalism can be big enough to accom-
held in check. How- modate the number Extremely bright light
ever, if the problem of birds one wants to or excessively long pe-
is allowed to get out keep. This is guided riods of light will cause
of hand it can be very by the stocking densi- birds to become hos-

www.agribusiness.co.zw 27 AUGUST 2019

Livestock agribusiness magazine
tile toward one anoth- for the age and types areas. Also, allow 1
er. Avoid using white of fowl you are raising. nest for every 5 hens.
light bulbs larger than Vent pecking by layers
40 watts. Only use red Mixing of different is also a common prob-
or infra-red bulbs for types, sizes, and col- lem.
heating. When raising ors of fowl:
birds 12 weeks of age Mixing different ages Allowing cripples, in-
or older, use 15 or 25 and sizes of fowl or fowl jured or dead birds to
watt bulbs above feed- with different traits remain in a flock:
ing and watering areas. promote pecking by Fowl will pick on crip-
disrupting the flock’s pled or dead birds in
Never light fowl more normal pecking order. their pens because of
than 16 hours per day. Never brood different the social order and
Constant light can be species of fowl togeth- curiosity. Once peck-
stressful to the birds. er in the same pen. ing starts it can quickly
Don’t brood feathered develop into a vicious
Feed, water shortage leg fowl, crested fowl habit.
and uneven distribu- or bearded fowl with
tion of feeders and fowl without these Slow feathering birds
drinkers traits. Curiosity can are most prone to
If the birds have to fight also start pecking. Toe cannibalism:
for food and water, or pecking in the first few Take extra precautions
if the birds are always weeks is often start- with slow feathering
hungry they will in- ed due to curiosity of birds. Most cannibal-
crease pecking. Be sure the different colors or ism occurs during fa-
that birds have free ac- traits. ther growth in young
cess to water and feed fowl. Birds with slow
at all times. Abrupt changes in en- feathering have imma-
vironment or manage- ture tender feathers
The pecking order de- ment practices: exposed for longer pe-
termines which birds If you plan to move riods of time leaving
get to eat and when. young birds to a new them open to damage
If you have inadequate location, it is best to from pecking. Don’t
feeder space birds at move some of their raise slow feathering
the lower end of the feeders and waterers birds with other fowl.
pecking order may nev- with them in order
er eat or drink. to help them adapt. Introducing new birds
When you change over to the flock:
Unbalanced diets to larger feeders and Anytime you add or re-
Extremely high ener- waterers it is helpful move birds from a flock
gy and low fiber diets to leave the smaller you disrupt the peck-
cause the birds to be equipment in the pen ing order of the flock.
extra active and ag- for a few days to help It is best to introduce
gressive. Feed lacking during the change. any new birds into your
protein and other nu- pen by splitting the
trients, particularly Brightly lit nests or pen with a wire wall
Methionine, will also shortage of nesting for at least a week to
cause birds to pick boxes: help the birds to get to Cannibalism usually occurs when
feathers. Make sure Don’t place bright know each other. Also, the birds are stressed by a poor
you feed a diet bal- lights near the nesting adding the birds to the
management practice
anced appropriately

www.agribusiness.co.zw 28 AUGUST 2019

Livestock agribusiness magazine
perch at night can help. enclosed outside run. be caused by several
Always supervise new This will keep the birds conditions, you may
introductions to the busy and allow them not be able to deter-
flock and intervene if to peck greens, ground mine the exact cause
the pecking gets out and insects instead of of the problem. How-
of control and birds other birds. ever, stress no matter
are getting hurt. It may how slight, is usually
take a week or more Give the birds a large the main factor.
for flock to re-establish handful of fresh greens
the new pecking order. like clover grass or ■■ Try to correct any
weeds, each day. This practices which
Prolapse Pecking increases the fiber in may have lead to
the birds’ diet. A high cannibalism.

“
Prolapse can occur in
very young or fat lay- fiber diet will keep the ■■ Darkening the fa-
ing flocks. Prolapse birds’ gizzard full and cilities by using red Don’t take chances!
keeps the birds more bulbs.
is when the uterus
content. Small parts of ■■ Remove any badly
Make cannibalism
stretches and tears and control part of your
takes longer to proper- baled green leafy hay injured birds.
will also give the birds management pro-
ly return into the body ■■ Applying an “an-
cavity after the egg is something to pick at. gram and you will
ti-peck” ointment
laid. on any damaged save a great deal of

”
Use of mechanical time and money
devices like plastic birds usually stops
This is most common in pecking.
young flocks that start peepers or blinders in
laying too soon (prior aggressive birds like ■■ Lower the pen tem-
gamebirds is advisable. perature a bit if
to 20 weeks of age or possible.
in fat layers. When the Placing colored or shiny
uterus is exposed for items for the birds to
a period of time oth- pick at and occupy Don’t take chances!
er birds will see it and their time can draw at- Make cannibalism con-
pick at it out of curi- tention away from oth- trol part of your man-
osity. Once they pick er birds. Hanging shine agement program and
at the uterus it bleeds cans just above eye lev- you will save a great
and the picking quick el can serve as a toy. deal of time and mon-
progresses to cannibal- ey.
ism. If you start seeing Finally, beak trimming
Prepared by Phillip J. Clauer,
blood streaks on the is used in problem Penn State Extension and De-
shell surface your flock flocks. Trim the beak partment of Animal Science.
by removing about 1/3 Reviewed by Dr. Gregory
may be prone to pro- Martin.
lapse. Properly manag- of the tip of the beak
ing how you bring your providing a square tip. ____

birds into production This makes it difficult

and proper feeding for the birds to harm
practices can prevent each other. However,
this problem. Fat birds beak trimming should
will need to be put on a be done by someone
low energy diet. experienced in proper
trimming.
Additional preventive
measures include: Treatment for a canni- Debeaking reduces cannibalism
balism outbreak:
Allow the birds to use
up their energy in an Since cannibalism can

www.agribusiness.co.zw 29 AUGUST 2019

Research, development and innovation
C Tree Crop Interactions maize and Gliricidia sepium intercrop
What is Agroforestry?
T he concept of agro-
forestry is being
discussed in most
circles of development and
amongst the farming com-
munities in recent years
more than ever. Conven-
tionally, crop farmers grow
only a single crop on one
field and foresters only
concentrate on trees whilst
livestock farmers focus on
livestock only. Also, there
was a belief that crops can-
not grow well in the shade
of nearby trees, so trees
were often cleared from
cropland. Most of us recall
www.agribusiness.co.zw
that in the days when there
was plenty of forest near
to the village, there was no
shortage of fuel, fodder,
etc. But now, veldt fires,
deforestation, overgrazing
have destroyed the forests.
This scenario is exacerbat-
ed by climate variability
leading to reduced crop
and livestock production
and productivity. By plant-
ing agroforestry trees, farm
needs for fodder, timber,
fuel, food, soil fertility im-
provement etc. can be met,
at the same time the envi-
ronment can be protected.
C Trees on crop land
30 AUGUST 2019
agribusiness magazine
B Trees in pasture land
So what is Agroforestry?
From an agronomist’s (A)
and pastoralist’s (B) point
of view agroforestry simply
means bringing trees on
farm and from a forester’s
(C) point of view agrofor-
estry simply means bring-
ing crops into plantations
or already existing forests
for socio- economic and
environmental benefits.
There are many definitions
of agroforestry, however
this article focuses on two
main definitions.
Agroforestry is a collective
name for land use systems
or technologies or practices
in which woody perennials
are deliberately grown or
managed on the same land
management units as crops
and or animals in some
form of spatial or temporal
arrangement resulting in
significant, ecological and
economical interactions
Research, development and innovation agribusiness magazine
Agroforestry is a sys- ues more than in most two or more outputs
tem where farm crops are land use systems from my agricultural
mixed with trees to supply practices that involve
fodder, fuel, leaf litter, me- • It has four main char- trees?
dicinal herbs, fruit, timber, acteristics:
etc and also meets the envi- • Involves two or more 3. Am I engaged in enter-
ronmental and socio-eco- prises that have a cycle
species of plants (or which is always more
nomic needs of farmers. plants and animals) at than one year?
least one of which is a
woody perennial; 4. Am I placing emphasis
From the discussion above on the use of indige-
the concept of agroforestry • Always has two or nous, multipurpose
can be summarized as fol- more outputs; trees and shrubs?
lows:
• Has a cycle which is 5. Is my agricultural sys-
• Is a collective name always more than one tem more complex

“
for land use systems year than mono cropping
involving trees com- system?
bined with crops and • More complex ecologi- Agroforestry is
or animals on the same cally and economically
For more details con-
unit of land. than a mono-cropping
system. tact: Department of a system where
• Combines production Once the concepts of agro- Research and Special-
ist Services, Dr. Dorah
farm crops are
of multiple outputs forestry have been appre-
with protection of the ciated one can self -test to Mwenye (0772112062) or mixed with trees
Miss Christine Kunjeku
resource base, find out whether they are
(0773915851)
to supply fod-
really practising agrofor-
• Places emphasis on estry by responding to the der, fuel, leaf
the use of indigenous, following questions? ____
multipurpose trees litter, medicinal
and shrubs,
1. Do I have two or more
herbs, fruit, tim-
• Is particularly suitable
for low –input condi-
species of plants (or ber, etc and also
plants and animals) at
tions and fragile envi- least one of which is a meets the envi-
ronments; woody perennial on
the same piece of land?
ronmental and
• Involves the interplay

”
of socio-cultural val- 2. Am I always getting socio-economic
needs of farmers.

Crops in existing forest land

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www.agribusiness.co.zw 32 AUGUST 2019
Farm health and safety agribusiness magazine

Tractor Safety
M odern farm

workhorses of
agriculture and the safe-
wear?
tractors are the ■■ Have I read and un-
derstood the instruc-
tion manual?
ty advances made in their ■■ How am I going to do
You need to take extra pre-
cautions when safe stop is
not possible, for example
when using power take-off
(PTO)-driven stationary
construction in recent this work? machinery such as slurry
years make them safer than tankers or operating exter-
ever. But tragic accidents ■■ Have I carried out pre- nal controls.
start checks of the ma-

“
do still occur on a regular
basis. chinery?
■■ Do I know enough to Step 2 in position
Machinery, equipment and work safely?
tractors are the most com-
A tractor can only be safely
operated from the driving
Machinery,
Safe stop
mon causes of farm deaths. seat. You must know how equipment
■■ Make sure the hand- to get in and get out safe-
These accidents don’t need brake is fully applied. ly, how to adjust seats and and trac-
to happen. Make sure that ■■ Make sure all controls
you don’t become part of
mirrors and how to rec-
ognize controls so you are
tors are the
and equipment are left
these unfortunate statistics safe. always in control of your most com-
by following basic guide- tractor.
lines in this article. ■■ Stop the engine. mon caus-
■■ Remove the key Some tractors have con-
trols mounted externally to
es of farm
deaths.

Step 1 Before starting
Before you start a tractor,
you must know the basic
safety procedures. These
are safety checks and safe
stop.
Safety checks
■■ Am I wearing suitable
clothing and foot-
”
aid hitching (normally on
Always use safe stop:
the rear mudguard) – you
■■ Before leaving your will need to take different
seat; or precautions when operat-
■■ When anyone else ap- ing these.
proaches; or
■■ When anyone else is
Key points
working on the ma-
chine.
Getting in and out

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Farm health and safety agribusiness magazine
■■ Always use access turn or road accident, trols. Also check that no
steps and hand-holds. where you are most one else is in danger from
Don’t jump from the likely to be killed or your tractor.
cab. injured.
■■ Use the nearside cab ■■ Wear a seat belt when Key points
door whenever you driving on slopes, si- ■■ Never drive a tractor
can. lage clamps, working or other machinery
■■ Keep floors, doors, on ditch sides and unless you have been
pedals and your boots when on public roads. trained to do so.
clean and mud-free. ■■ Make sure you un-
Controls
■■ Do not keep tools, derstand the controls
draw-bar pins or top ■■ Look in the opera- before you operate the
links on the cab floor. tor’s manual to find tractor.
■■ Before leaving the seat out what each control ■■ Before moving off, al-
follow safe stop. does. ways check whether Key points
■■ Get out facing inwards ■■ Make sure you know independent brakes Never use a machine unless
so that you have a how the controls are are locked together. you are trained and know
good grip. operated. They should always how to use it safely.
■■ Never use any control be locked together for
■■ Never get on or off a road and transport Make use of relevant train-
moving tractor. unless you are correct- ing courses such as those
ly seated in the cab. use.
run by training providers,
■■ Know where the con- ■■ Make sure no one else agricultural colleges and
Visibility and seat adjust- trols should be before is near before you start manufacturers/dealers.
ment you start the tractor. the engine.
Never use a machine unless
■■ Before carrying out ■■ Don’t forget that dif- ■■ Check no one is in it is properly maintained.
adjustments ensure ferent tractors have danger before you
different controls. move. Keep away from moving ma-
the tractor is in safe chinery – remember that
stop. ■■ Never use a machine ■■ Check the brakes and
some machine components
■■ Check the seat posi- that you have not been steering operate cor-
will continue to rotate or
tion – can you operate taught how to use. rectly. move even after the engine
all controls comfort- ■■ Make sure you know has stopped.
ably? External controls what each control
does. Wear footwear with a good
■■ Adjust the seat sus- ■■ Look in the operator’s grip – safety boots are best.
pension to your manual to find out
weight. where to stand when Step 4 Driving Wear clothes that will not
using external con- ■■ This is not the last snag on machinery – prefer-
■■ Make sure mirrors ably overalls.
are properly adjusted. trols. step. A safe tractor
When wearing a seat ■ ■ Only use external con- operator needs many Keep long hair tied back.
belt, doublecheck that trols to hitch equip- more skills than the
steps listed so far. You Remove any jewellery that
you can still see clear- ment in accordance might snag – don’t forget
ly. with the operator’s need to be a compe-
watches and rings.
manual. tent driver before you
■■ Make sure mirrors
can operate tractors Find and read the operator’s
and windows are clean ■■ DO NOT place any manual – keep it handy
part of your body in and other machinery
and give full visibility.
between the tractor safely.
Seat belts and any mounted im- ■■ Above all, watch out
plement when operat- for other people and
■■ Seat belts are a legal keep your speed down.
requirement on all ing these controls.
tractors where there is Key points
a risk of overturning
Step 3 Under power
and it is reasonably This step is about getting ■■ Don’t drive tractors
practicable to fit one. the engine started and unless they are prop-
making sure it is safe to be- erly maintained and
■■ A seat belt will prevent
gin work. This is the time safe. Use the operator’s
you being thrown out
to check the brakes, the manual.
of the cab in an over-
steering and other con- ■■ Fix or report defects as

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Farm health and safety agribusiness magazine
soon as possible. ■■ Check for bystanders ■■ Make sure you use the
■■ Take your time and before starting trac- right hitch system.
never rush when op- tors or machines. ■■ Only use controls
erating tractors. ■■ Check where assis- from the operating
■■ Watch out for obsta- tants are working and position.
cles and blind spots. make sure you can see ■■ Take extra care when
■■ Take care with pro- them. using external con-
jections such as bale ■■ Agree a way to work trols.
spikes. Remove them safely and make sure ■■ Never stand between
or carry them in a safe everyone follows it. the tractor and other
position both on and ■■ Communicate clearly machines, or behind
off the road. and make sure instruc- them, unless the trac-
■■ Comply with warning tions can be heard and tor is stationary and
signs. understood. the driver is aware of
■■ Remember, other ■■ Only carry someone your presence.
people and children else if a proper passen- ■■ Never stand with your
may be around, even ger seat is fitted. feet under, on or near
if you’re not expect- ■■ Use the horn to warn drawbars.
ing them. Equipment, assistants that you are ■■ Ensure that jacks,
loads, bad weather or going to start. skids and other sup-
bright sunshine make ■■ If you are helping a ports are used and
it harder to see, so take tractor operator: maintained.
care. ■■ Agree a way to work ■■ Communicate clear-
■■ Get help if visibility safely – and follow it. ly if you get help with
is reduced, especially ■■ If you are using hand hitching.
when reversing. signals, agree their
■■ When reversing, use meaning beforehand.
Step 7 other machines
mirrors and horns and and trailers
■■ Make sure the tractor
any other reversing operator can see you. Unguarded power take-
aids fitted to the trac- offs, power take-off shafts,
tor. ■■ Never stand in the line machine blockages and
of travel of a tractor or
■■ Remember, confined machine.
maintenance activities
or dark buildings and cause many serious inju-
small farmyards make ■■ Find out the safe plac- ries.
spotting and avoiding es to work or stand
dangers difficult. when near machines. Correct guarding is essen-
■■ Agree safe routes for ■■ Listen to and follow tial and you must remem-
other tractors and ma- instructions. ber safe stop – this is the
chines to avoid acci- ■■ Do not operate any most important step to
dents. external controls un- make sure you can operate
less you have been in- other machinery safely.
■■ Watch for rear-end
swing when travelling structed to do so.
Key points
with long implements
such as ploughs. Step 6 Hitching
Accidents are common PTO shafts
Step 5 other people when hitching or unhitch- ■■ Follow safe stop
ing tractor-mounted ma- whenever possible –
Every time you use a trac-
chines. To prevent these it makes sure nothing
tor, look out for other peo-
accidents, remember: will move.
ple, wherever you are, as
other workers are often 1. Safe stop. ■■ Take extra care when
nearby. Always keep a look 2. Operate controls from using a PTO-driven
out for children. the correct position. machine, e.g. a slurry
tanker, in a stationary
3. Never forget your as- position. Know how to hitch cor-
Key points sistants are also at risk. rectly to avoid accidents
■■ If you are an operator: ■■ Ensure guards are in
Key points place – check they are

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Farm health and safety
properly chained, lu-
bricated and free from
defects.
■■ Report any faults im-
mediately.
■■ Do not use a machine
with a damaged PTO
shaft guard.
■■ Ensure the tractor is
chocked or that there
is a mechanical con-
nection between the
tractor and a station-
ary PTO-driven ma-
chine to ensure the
tractor or machine
does not move, caus-
ing the PTO shaft to
separate.
■■ Don’t forget to check
the PTO is guarded
where the PTO shaft
attaches to the tractor.
Trailers
Using tractors and trailers
without an adequate brak-
ing system has led to loss
of control, jackknifing and
tractor-overturning inci-
dents.
Tractors and trailers used
on or off the road need to
stop safely within a rea-
sonable distance under all
conditions.
Inadequate trailer brakes
can lead to accidents when
maneuvering on slopes or
slippery surfaces, as the
tractor may be pushed
sideways and slide out of
control.
If trailer brakes are inad-
equate (i.e. are not doing
their share of the braking)
the tractor braking system
can be subjected to exces-
sive wear.
Safe towing requires the
use of a large enough trac-
tor and selecting the most
suitable gear to stop the
www.agribusiness.co.zw
agribusiness magazine
combination within a safe tions for frequency
distance. and detail of inspec-
Make sure you buy trailers tion.
that have a suitable braking ■■ Some older brake
system to match your trac- linings may contain
tor and ask the supplier for asbestos. Take appro-
brake efficiency informa- priate precautions to
tion. avoid breathing dust
Failsafe trailer braking pro- and when disposing of
vides emergency brakes if
waste material.
the tractor stalls, or if the ■■ Make sure operators
tractor and trailer become
are familiar with the
unintentionally detached. operation of air brake
Maintaining trailer brakes systems (if fitted) so
they know how to at-
■■ Properly maintain and tach and detach trail-
adjust braking sys- ers safely.
tems for tractor-trail-
er combinations to Other machinery
ensure efficiency and
■■ Check the machine is
safety. Testing on the
properly guarded and
move may be nec-
the guards have no de-
essary after mainte-
fects.
nance.
■■ Check the machine for
■■ Keep hydraulic and air
defects.
brake couplings clean
and avoid contamina- ■■ Check the brakes are
tion. connected.
■■ Make sure linkages ■■ Make sure you are
are properly lubricat- trained and competent
ed and operate freely to use the machine.
and keep them main- ■■ Always use safe stop.
tained. ■■ Don’t use the machine
■■ Check the parking unless it is properly
brake works proper- maintained.
ly – they are prone to ■■ Always lower ma-
seizure if neglected. chines to a safe posi-
■■ After use, clean mud tion before leaving the
and contamination seat.
from brakes (includ-
ing parking brakes).
■■ Make sure the clean-
ing method does not
lead to deterioration
of the brakes (e.g. rust-
ing caused by pressure
washing).
■■ Tractors which are not
fitted with a self-bal-
ancing braking system
require more frequent
Invest in training on how
checks to make sure to operate tractors to avoid
the brakes are evenly accidents
balanced.
■■ Follow the manufac-
turer’s recommenda-
36 AUGUST 2019
Fun and Games agribusiness magazine

There are eight differences between these pictures. Can you spot them?

www.agribusiness.co.zw 37 AUGUST 2019

Market agribusiness magazine

Market Update
Product Buyer (s) Price (RTGS) Contact

Maize GMB 2 100.00 0242-701885-99

GMB 4 800.00 0242-701885-99

National
Sugarbeans Foods
5 600.00 0779157398

Taflo 6 594.00 0775386077

Rapoko GMB 2 100.00 0242-704538

Millet GMB 2 100.00 0242-701885-99

GMB 1 825.00 0242-701885-99

Staywell 2 500.00 0772235558

Soyabeans Taflo 3 600.00 0775386077

PHI 2 400.00 0773381825

Hyperfeeds 1 800.00 0778 828 849

Delta 0712614158
Sorghum
GMB 2 100.00 0242-701885-99

Wheat GMB 1 089.68 0242-701885-99

GMB
1 000 -2 000.00 0242-701885-99
(unshelled)
Ground Taflo(shelled) 7 526.00 0775386077
nuts
Tabacha
2 512.00 0777439874
(unshelled)

E&OE
www.agribusiness.co.zw 38 AUGUST 2019
Crops in Agriculture
Women agribusiness magazine

Celebrating Successes of
Women In Agribusiness

W
omen con- fully and sustainably officially opened by
trol quite a coming out as entre- Dr Ibrahim Mayaki,
significant preneurs. This senti- CEO of the NEPAD
segment of trade in ment was captured Agency; Mr Carlos
Africa – from the pro- under the theme of Boldogh, CEO of
duction of agricul- the 3rd Conference the Agribusiness De-
tural goods that are for Women in Agri- velopment Agency;
traded especially in business. Mrs Estherine Fota-
export commodities bong, NEPAD Agen-
like cocoa, coffee cy’s Director of Pro-
and horticulture, to African women in grammes, and; Ms
cross-border formal agribusiness con- Bodil Gudrun Maal
and informal trade. vened at the Durban from the Norwegian
International Con- Agency for Devel-
vention Centre, in opment Coopera-
The theme, ‘Wom- South Africa to cau- tion (Norad).
en in Agribusiness: cus on issues that
Practical steps into affect them, as well
entrepreneurship,’ as to receive training “Expanded acces-
makes it clear that through capacity sible markets is a
Africa requires bold building sessions tai- critical condition for
actions both in poli- lored to their needs. success in building
cy and investments, viable and therefore
if the efforts in these success entrepre-
areas are to trans- The women also neurs. This is an issue,
late into critical mass participated in an not just for ‘women
and large numbers exhibition that was entrepreneurs’ but
of women success- important across the

www.agribusiness.co.zw 39 AUGUST 2019

Crops in Agriculture
Women agribusiness magazine
continent’s industri- ness Development ence is useful in that
alisation ambitions Agency but decided we can interact with
and goals,” Dr May- to also exhibit their people from other
aki stated in his key products at the 2017 countries and learn
note address. conference, vouch- more about the
ing that the platform dynamics in their
has a lot to offer. countries. The con-
Following the train- ference sessions are
ing received during also important in
the 2nd Confer- “The conference is that I always find the
ence for Women in a platform for mar- information shared

“
Agribusiness, held keting, information useful,” she said.
in 2015, a number exchange and net-
of the participants working,” Lisa re-
have since improved marked. Encouraging the Women con-
the packaging of women at the con-
their products, and ference, Mrs Esther- trol quite a
their business strate- Lona added that the ine Fotabong reiter-
gies, attracting more
significant
conference also pro- ated that “Women’s
sales and thereby in- vides space for net- capacity to organise segment of
creasing their profits. working with farmers and mobilise in tak-
and others in agri- ing charge of their
trade in Afri-
business, where im- own issues provides ca – from the
Attesting to the val- port and export links better chances of
ue of the training can also be made. them accessing the production
received at the pre- support they need
vious Conference in order to grow their of agricultur-
for Women in Agri- Yoliswa Gumede,
businesses.” al goods that
business, the wom- founder of Cappeny
an-owned Kwithu Estates, a hydropon-
are traded
Kitchen enterprise
- which adds value
ic strawberry farm, “The Women in Agri- especially in
talked of the new business forum is
to the tomato value range of products one such forum that export com-
chain by creating that she now has on addresses some of
sauces in various fla- the market. In ad- the challenges that
modities like
vours, bottling them dition to supplying women in agribusi- cocoa, coffee
and selling them to stores and the pub- ness face, and aims
local supermarkets - lic with fresh straw- to overcome them
and horti-
maintained that the berries, she produc- as a collective,” she culture, to
through the training es dried strawberry said.
received, the busi- bars, baked straw- cross-border
ness is now able to berry granola, and
reach wider markets. strawberry jam. She GROWAFRICA
formal and in-
lauded the Confer- formal trade.

”
ence for Women in ____
Lona Mguni and Agribusiness for pro-
Lisa Mthethwa, pro- viding the space for
ducers of fruit sal- farmers from all over
ads, smoothies and the continent to
distributors of fresh meet.
fruits and vegeta-
bles, were also par-
ticipants of the 2015 “Since we are now
Conference for looking into expand-
Women in Agribusi- ing our business into
ness. They were invit- the rest of the con-
ed by the Agribusi- tinent, the confer-

www.agribusiness.co.zw 40 AUGUST 2019

 ?
The
What are the best skill for
Agribusiness
farm business owners?
Expert
Answers

The Agri- business is doing. Without

records, you can never know
your savings, but in some
of the bank fees may be
paid for. In such a case you
lose both the money you in-

business Ex-
pert says....
1. Keep a daily RECORD
This record will track where
the money comes from and
where it goes. This record is
called a cash book and it will
help you to know how your
whether we are making a
proft or a loss.
2. Put money in SAVINGS
regularly
You should not wait till the
end of the month to start
saving. By then there is usu-
ally nothing left to save. Try
to set aside a small amount
each day. This becomes very
useful during emergencies.
Banks can be a safe place for
more than the interest to be
earned. In that case, a look
for cheaper options available
to you.
3. Avoid selling your prod-
ucts /services on credit
If someone has no money
and cannot pay for the item,
some entrepreneurs are
afraid they will lose the sale
if they do not give credit.
But it is not a sale until it is
vested and the proft. Giving
people credit does not make
them friends. When you
give so much credit to your
customers that you do not
have enough cash to restock,
the customers will go to
other enterprises and your
business will fail.
4. Don’t allow long standing
DEBTS
Money owed to you by peo-
ple is yours, and you need it
to support your enterprise.

Sometimes business is done

with credit, but this leads to
delayed payments. You need
to set your terms up front
and have a plan to collect
payment. Sometimes you
can sell your product on
credit and wait for the pay-
ment for a very long time as
a result you lack products to
sell to other customers.

5. Check if you are making a

PROFIT OR LOSS

This should be done on a

regular basis. This can only
be possible if you keep
records. __

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www.agribusiness.co.zw 42 AUGUST 2019